Chapter 45: Against the Stolks (4)
The city of the Ghosts trembled under the weight of an unexpected horror.
The morning had started in relative calm. The Ghost Forces were dispersing into squads, the air was still, and the new General—Dominic—had only just begun familiarizing himself with his role. Alice and Lady Fares stood beside him on the Palace terrace, both wearing expressions of quiet anticipation. Their conversation, though laced with concern, had been steady.
And then the ground rumbled.
A heavy boom echoed in the distance—followed by another. The palace shook lightly, and the soft blue morning sky suddenly cracked with a loud crack. Screams followed, not from within, but beyond the outer walls.
A soldier ran into the inner court. Her face was painted with ash and panic. Blood was used like a design against her fabric.
"Stolks! They’re inside! They’re moving fast! They broke through the northern barrier!"
"How is that even possible?" Alice asked, her voice sharp.
"No one saw them coming," the soldier gasped, "They just appeared, like shadows."
Dominic turned to Lady Fares. "This has to be Coris. She’s launched her first move."
Lady Fares’ eyes narrowed. "Then it begins."
The emergency bells sounded, their metallic tolls echoing through the palace like war drums. From every corner, Ghost soldiers sprinted into action. Beautiful and deadly, their armor shimmered beneath the rising sun, shadow cloaks trailing behind them as they moved into formation.